Project Blue: Jeans
Welcome to part 1 of our yearlong challenge designed to help you look—and feel—great in your go-to wardrobe staple.
Article By: Stacey Colino, Weight Watchers Magazine

Oh, how we love (and hate!) our jeans—and for good reason: “We associate jeans with youth, comfort, freedom, and being hip and sexy,” notes Daniel James Cole, M.F.A., a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. “They also serve as a litmus test: Being able to fit into a pair of jeans is the holy grail of losing weight.” Indeed, the flip side is true as well: Not being able to fit into a coveted pair of jeans ranks among life’s biggest fashion frustrations for most of us. Consider this: A recent national poll of 1,000 women found that

62% rely on their jeans as a measure of whether they need to lose weight.
50% hold onto their “skinny jeans,” hoping that they’ll squeeze into them again.
31% refuse to go up a size to find jeans that fit well.
These statistics are one reason we’re kicking off the “Project Blue” challenge in this issue. This yearlong program will help you do what it takes to slim down, tone up, and look fabulous in your jeans. The mission this issue? To look and feel better in your jeans starting right this minute. Here’s the plan.

Step 1
Don’t Look at the Number on the Tag

You’re in good company when it comes to the issues you have with your jeans. Surveys have found that the biggest complaints women have about their jeans include that they magnify a big tummy or muffin top, make the hips look wide or the thighs look bulky, make the butt look too big or too flat, or are too long or too short or too curvy or too straight. Then there’s the perennial gripe about the sizing issue—namely, why it’s so darn hard to figure out exactly what your size is. Well, here’s your answer. “There’s no standard sizing in the apparel industry—every brand uses different techniques and measurements to create their sizing scale,” says Sarah Hodge, of MyTrueFit.com. “Therefore, you could wear a range of three different sizes depending on the brand and style.” Translation: Don’t sweat the number; pay attention to how well the jeans fit and flatter your figure.

After reading this…
Hit your closet with a pair of scissors. Cut out the size tags from all your jeans—it’s a democracy in your closet! There are no size 8s mocking you, no 14s to hide from. All your jeans are equal! Now you’re ready to proceed to step 2.

Dreamy Jeans
In a poll of 2,200 women in the U.K., 30% admitted they fantasize more about fitting back into their “trophy” jeans than about getting cozy with Hollywood heartthrobs like Brad Pitt or George Clooney (sorry, guys).
Step 2:
Take a “Jeans Inventory”

It’s time to evaluate which jeans you look and feel great in today. “Looking good happens while you’re slimming, so try to be the best version of yourself and present yourself with confidence,” says Debbie Then, Ph.D., a social psychologist. To get started, try on all your jeans one by one, and use the criteria below to determine which jeans stay in your closet and which head to Goodwill. If you answer “yes” to any of the five points below, say good-bye.

Your jeans are so snug that panty lines or skin bulges are visible when you look in the mirror.
Your jeans are bagging out in the seat or drooping in the crotch or hips, especially after you’ve been sitting.
You have to wear a bulky shirt and tuck it in to hold your jeans up, or you want to tuck a shirt in but can’t because the waist is too snug.
You can fit two fingers between the waistband and your body. Jeans stretch during the day, so the gap will widen, and you will constantly have to pull them up.
You have to use a belt to prevent the waist from gapping. “Belts should be used only for style, not fit,” Hodge says.
After reading this...
Pinpoint two pair of jeans that you feel great in (ideally one dressy pair in dark denim, one more casual in a light wash) right now. “When your jeans are no longer flattering, it’s time to trade up,” says Hodge. “You should feel confident and comfortable in a good pair of jeans; they should be formfitting, flattering your rear and curves, but still comfortable.” Not there yet? Permission to shop, granted!

Step 3:
Stand Up Straight!

Here’s the easiest step of all: Look instantly leaner in your jeans with a 30-second posture adjustment, says fitness instructor Suzanne Bowen.

Stand up straight, lift head and pull chin back so head is in line with neck and spine. Roll shoulders up, back, and down.
Then lift and gently squeeze the muscles in the lower abdomen (below your belly button) back toward your spine and up slightly, as if they were going up one floor in an elevator. “This flattens out the tummy and elongates your spine,” Bowen says.
After reading this...
Your confidence should be soaring and you should be looking long and lean in your very best jeans!

The Jeans Team

Daniel James Cole, M.F.A., is a fashion historian and has been a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City for 10 years.

Sarah Hodge is a merchandise manager and fit specialist for MyTrueFit.com, an online retailer that specializes in custom-sizing options.

Debbie Then, Ph.D., is a California-based psychologist, author, and consultant specializing in women and body image.

Suzanne Bowen, a certified fitness expert, is the owner of Seren Motus Fitness Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. She has created and starred in numerous fitness DVDs.